Former Olympic Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan Breaks Down While Discussing Young Skaters Killed In D.C. Plane Collision

by Baila Eve ZismanFebruary 1, 2025, 3:08 pmNews >

On Thursday, Nancy Kerrigan addressed the devastating plane crash that took place near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport.

On Jan. 29, news broke that an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

There were 64 people total on the flight, all of whom were presumed dead. Among the passengers who died were two teenage figure skaters from the Skating Club of Boston, along with their coaches and mothers.

Kerrigan, a 1994 Olympic silver medalist, is an alumna of the Skating Club in Boston, and although she did not personally know the skaters on the plane, she is “not sure how to process” the tragedy.

In a press conference at the Skating Club of Boston rink on Jan. 30, Kerrigan said, “The kids here really work hard, their parents work hard to be here…I just feel for the athletes, the skaters, their families, and anyone who was on that plane – not just the skaters- because it’s such a tragic event. We’ve been through tragedies before as Americans, as people, and we are all strong. So, my response is to be with people I care about and I love; I want to support. That’s why I’m here.”

She continued, “We’re so strong. Somehow, we have a reservoir to dig from, and each one of them is strong enough to get through this somehow. It will take time, but look beside you, [there is] somebody that cares.”

Kerrigan remembered, “I’ve seen [the skaters] a lot of times over the years, [and] everything I’ve heard of them was maybe, ‘They’re a little tough but with a smile on their faces,’…Any time I [walked into a room], it was, ‘Oh, hi, it’s so good to see you,’ and [they were] welcoming and happy to see one another.”

Officials have dubbed the tragedy the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.